Can Function at the Organismal Level Explain Ecological Patterns?

Brown et al. (2004) propose that ‘‘first principles of chemistry, physics, and biology’’ can be used to link the function of individual organisms to ecological processes. By arguing that metabolic rate controls ecological processes at all levels of organization, from the individual to the biosphere, they propose that a metabolic theory of ecology can be a powerful unifying principle. Because the scope of their vision is so broad, and because the models on which these ideas are based are controversial, the papers by Brown, West, and their collaborators (cited in Brown et al. 2004) have stimulated lively intellectual debate within and between disciplines, and have spawned new research in a number of different fields. By stirring the pot with their broad-reaching ideas, Brown and his colleagues are making a significant contribution to the advancement of both physiology and ecology, whether or not their theories turn out to be correct or general in their applicability.